


Passion. Connected.

by RubyCaspar



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: AU, But I'm super into the Olympics right now, F/M, I know nothing about these sports, Winter Olympics AU, so this happened
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-18 00:48:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13670784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RubyCaspar/pseuds/RubyCaspar
Summary: Speed Skater Jack Robinson is in PyeongChang for his fifth Winter Olympics, and isn't under any illusions that he's likely to get gold. Still, it's likely to be his last Games, and he's going to make the most of it.Especially any time he can spend with a certain decorated figure skater.





	Passion. Connected.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so look I had this idea this evening and I couldn't resist. It's going to be three parts and it's all mapped out. This part is very much an introduction - the bulk of the story is in parts 2 and 3. Expect an absolute plethora of mistakes about how the Olympics works and how Speed Skating works. 
> 
> It didn't take me long to decide which sports the duo should be. Phryne is OBVIOUSLY a super glamourous figure skater. As for Jack, I chose Speed Skating because a) it reminds me the most of cycling, b) I was watching it a lot today and c) we get to imagine Jack in lycra and look at pictures of NP in lycra as inspiration. 
> 
> The title is the official motto of the 2018 games. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

“So, Jack, this is your fifth Olympic games. You have eight medals, but the gold has always eluded you. Do you think that this might be your year?” 

 

“Look, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could win it. Whether I will or not remains to be seen, but I’ll certainly be aiming for gold.” 

 

“You’ve just turned thirty-five, making you one of the oldest speed skaters at the games -”

 

“Thanks for pointing that out.” 

 

“Do you feel your experience will help you get that win?” 

 

“Experience can definitely be an advantage, but if my experience has taught me anything it’s that anything can happen at the Olympics.” 

 

“The name on everyone’s lips in the Australian camp this year is Hugh Collins. The short-track skater got a silver at the world championships, aged only nineteen. He’s often named you as a skating hero of his - how do you rate his chances for a medal?” 

 

“Hugh’s a terrific skater and I have no doubt we’re going to see great things from him.” 

 

“The buzz around Collins has been likened by some to the buzz that surrounded you and your first Olympics. And I think we all remember what happened in Salt Lake.” 

 

“Oh? What happened?” 

 

“Ha! Alright, let’s not talk about that…” 

 

“Seriously though, I don’t think it helps anyone to compare Hugh to me or to anyone else. He’s going to do well, and I can’t wait to see it.” 

 

“Us too. And we can’t wait to see you in action too. Good luck.” 

 

“Thanks.” 

 

***

 

Jack stamped his feet and clapped his hands together to get his circulation going. It wasn't like he wasn't used to the cold, but it was absolutely bloody freezing, and they had barely started. He rolled his eyes - you'd think after five Olympics he'd have found a way to skip the Opening Ceremony. 

 

“I can't believe I'm here,” said Collins for what had to be the fifth or sixth time. “This is amazing.” 

 

Jack, since he had heard this already five or six times, just nodded. He remembered what it was like to be at his first Olympics, and how excited he'd been for all of it, and he didn't begrudge Collins his giddiness. He also didn’t really mind the way the kid seemed to be following him around like some kind of lost puppy. 

 

Jack had been aware of Hugh Collins as a promising teenage skater for a few years, and had even met him briefly once or twice, but they didn’t train together - not even in the same state - and Jack was too busy with training himself to pay much attention to the up and comers. However, his fans on his social media channels had tagged him numerous times into interviews where the teen had repeatedly stated that Jack was his speed skating hero. There’d even been a picture of a ten-year-old Hugh Collins standing by his trophy shelf in his bedroom, a poster of Jack clearly visible on the wall. 

 

Jack had had to forego the World Championships due to injury, so hadn’t been there to see Collins win his silver medal, but the next time they met he’d certainly known who he was. 

 

And Collins had been star struck enough to make it clear that he hadn’t been exaggerating for the interviews. 

 

There was a time Jack might have found such hero-worship to be annoying, but Collins wasn’t too bad - he was hopelessly green, and so innocent he bordered on the naive - but he had an enthusiasm for the sport that was infectious, and it reminded Jack of how he’d used to feel about speed skating. 

 

And since arriving in PyeongChang Jack needed that reminder. Honestly, what had he been thinking? Thirty-five, and only just recovered from injury? He should have retired when he got injured - it’s what everyone had expected. 

 

Which is probably why he didn’t do it. 

 

“I can’t believe we have to wait so long to go out.” 

 

It took Jack a moment to realise that Collins had said something different this time, and when he did he snorted. “Believe me it’s lucky - the sooner we go out, the longer we have to stand out there freezing our arses off,” he said. 

 

Collins blinked, and Jack regretted his rather cynical reply. He tried to smooth it over with a small smile. “It gets really cold when you’re just standing still,” he said. “Or sitting still - I think we’re getting seats at this one.” 

 

Collins nodded. “I hadn’t thought of that.” 

 

“Last time I couldn’t wear the gloves because I couldn’t get a grip on the flagpole with them on,” Jack said. “My hands were practically blue by the end of it.” 

 

“ _ Amazing  _ to be the flag bearer though…” Collins said wistfully. 

 

Jack grinned. “One day, Hugh.” 

 

Collins grinned back. 

 

“No need to wait - Dot, give this young man a flag!” 

 

Jack froze - he couldn’t help it - and even though it was only for a second he was sure she would notice. He huffed out a rueful breath and rubbed his hands together again as he felt a body press against his side in a completely unnecessary manner - it was  _ not  _ that crowded - and the air was filled with French perfume. 

 

Collins was actually slack-jawed. “Oh my god, you’re Phryne Fisher!” 

 

Phryne stepped back from Jack, raising a perfectly winged eyebrow, and Collins started to stammer. “I mean, of course you are, I’m sorry - it’s just, I - well, I’m a big fan of yours, Miss Fisher.” 

 

Phryne’s smile had grown during his little speech, and when he’d finished she laughed and reached out to shake his hand. “Please, call me - no, you know what, call me Miss Fisher, I quite like it.” She winked at Collins, who promptly turned bright red. 

 

Jack rolled his eyes. 

 

“What is such a charming, polite young man doing hanging around with the likes of you, Robinson?” She asked, turning her amused smirk on Jack. 

 

Jack narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you suggesting I am a corrupting influence,  _ Miss Fisher _ ?” 

 

“I believe you would need to  _ be  _ corrupted first, Jack, and from what I hear you’re one of the…  _ untouchables _ .” 

 

Jack tilted his head to the side. “I don’t know about that.” 

 

Phryne flicked her eyes down to his lips, and then turned on her heel. “Well, we must be going - we need to get a good spot up near the front,” she declared. “Dot, give the man his flag.” 

 

A young woman - very young, still a teenager, by the look of her - stepped around Jack and held out a small, paper Australian flag to Collins. Collins reached out to take the flag with a grin, and then his eyes went comically wide and he froze. 

 

“I… hello, Dotty.” 

 

The girl - Dotty - was blushing very prettily. “Hello, Hugh.” 

“I, um, I was hoping that I’d run into you here but I didn’t know if you’d be… you have an event tomorrow and, well -” 

 

“I know, but I didn’t want to miss it.” 

 

“No - no, I know.” 

 

Jack watched the exchange with interest, and then looked past the couple (whose gloved hands were clasped around that silly little flag) to find Phryne already looking at him. She raised an eyebrow at him - he shrugged slightly and raised his eyebrows at her. She tilted her head to the side, and then reached out to clasp Dot’s shoulder. 

 

“Come along Dot, we’ll be called soon,” she said. “Estonia have just gone out.” 

 

Dot jumped and dropped her hand. “Yes - I - um, see you around, Hugh,” she said. “Good luck.” 

 

“Bye.” 

 

Dot and Phryne were almost out of sight when Collins gave a small start and called out “good luck to you too!” at their retreating backs. Then he groaned. 

 

Jack couldn’t help his grin. “Not to worry Hugh - I’ve seen worse.” 

 

“Really?” Collins said earnestly, staring at him with wide eyes. 

 

Jack sighed inwardly - honestly, the kid had spent way too many of his formative years trapped in an ice rink.

 

“Definitely,” Jack said, clapping him on the back. “I take it you two know each other.” 

 

Hugh nodded. “We used to train at the same rink… I always, you know, wanted to ask her out, but we were so busy and there never seemed to be a good time. Then she moved to Melbourne to train after the last worlds and… I haven’t seen her since.” 

 

“Well… figure skating starts tomorrow but we don’t get going for a few days… maybe you could go cheer her on.” 

 

Hugh looked stricken. “Oh no, Terry wouldn’t let me do that,” he said. “He says that girls are a distraction, unless they’re just for -” Collins went red again and cut himself off, and Jack knew Terrence Grossmith well enough to guess the rest. Jack bit his tongue - it wasn’t his place to cause problems between Collins and his coach. 

 

Luckily, at that moment, they started moving  - they’d been slowly shuffling along for almost half an hour, but now they were walking with intent. 

 

“We’re going!” Collins exclaimed happily, tugging off a glove to pull out his phone and record. 

 

Jack couldn’t help a smile at his enthusiasm, and then they were following the crowd into the stadium, there was a roar of noise, the loudspeaker was announcing Australia, and Jack remembered with a rush everything that was actually great about the Opening Ceremony. He lifted a hand to wave to the crowd as they started their lap of the arena. Looking up at the big screens, he saw that Phryne had indeed managed to situate herself in a prime position just behind Scotty and the flag, and a couple of times the camera cut away to a close up shot of her beaming, red-painted smile. 

 

How she managed to look good in their god awful green trousers and silver bomber jacket combo Jack would never know, but she  _ did _ . 

 

Jack waited until the cameras switched to the Austrian delegation behind them before tugging off his right glove and reaching into his pocket - the one that Phryne had been pressed up against. Sure enough, he found that the zip was undone, and his fingers closed around a small slip of paper inside. He pulled it out to have a look - it simply read ‘3451’. Jack grinned and carefully zipped the pocket closed again before putting his glove back on. 

 

“This is amazing!” Collins shouted over the noise of the arena, still holding up his camera. 

 

Jack laughed and slung an arm around Collins’ shoulders. So what - he was allowed to feel jovial; he was in Korea for his fifth Olympic Games, it was the Opening Ceremony, and he was even in with a decent shout of getting a medal. 

 

Plus, in a couple of hours he’d be in room 3451 of the Athletes Village paying a visit to the most decorated figure skater in Australian Olympic history. 

 

Jack noticed that Collins had turned his camera around so that they were both in the frame - he grinned at the lens. “Welcome to the Olympics!” 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Just wanted to say for anyone who is wondering, yes I have changed the ages here a bit, to make it fit better with the story and the usual ages of athletes. 
> 
> Jack is 35 and this is his 5th games. Phryne is 31 and this is her 5th as well. Dot is 18 (and also a figure skater) and Hugh is 19 and a short track skater (Jack is long track, but started off in short track). 
> 
> Also, Jack is a little less reserved because he IS a professional athlete... it kind of comes with the territory.


End file.
